General Manager, Distribution Enterprise in Colombia

Chakipi Acceso Colombia Distribution Enterprise (“CHAKIPI”) background

Chakipi Colombia was created in 2015. Chakipi, meaning “to your home” in Quechua, a native Andean language, is the brand of CGEP’s distribution enterprises. Distribution enterprises empower women as entrepreneurs in remote and urban areas and provide a basket of essential consumer goods, food, and pro-poor innovations for sale. The women sell these products into their rural and peri-urban/urban communities and increase their incomes in return. We supply the products at convenient meeting points and we provide the training and coaching that the women need to be knowledgeable and confident salespeople.

Chakipi Colombia is currently working with nearly 200 female entrepreneurs in one department (region) of Colombia and is in the process of scaling throughout the country.

General Manager

Reporting/Supervisor: CEO, CGEP

Location: Cartagena, Colombia (flexible)

Position: Full-time

Travel: Up to 50% local travel

Start Date: July 2016 (flexible)

The General Manager (GM) for Chakipi Colombia is responsible for managing and scaling the inclusive distribution enterprise in Colombia.

  • Scale the Chakipi enterprise from its initial phase of approximately 200 entrepreneurs in Cartagena and Boyacá to a model that can support thousands of entrepreneurs in Colombia.
  • Manage and structure the enterprise for scaling including:
    • Development of regional management;
    • Establishment of replicable and scalable direct sales/distribution models
  • Design and implement a comprehensive territory sales process to ensure a minimum level of sales is maintained by entrepreneurs;
  • Develop ongoing sales and marketing strategies to grow sales;
  • Assess optimum product mix through regular demand analysis;
  • Develop guidelines and commission schemes for sales support teams;
  • Devise profitable strategies to leverage the utilization of the “last mile” national sales and distribution network once established.
  • Oversee Entrepreneur recruitment, training and retention. Training topics include but are not limited to:
    • Sales processes and strategies
    • Product mix
    • Product education
    • Basic marketing strategies
    • Hygiene
    • Self-development and motivation
  • Manage inventory and logistics systems:
    • Organize and optimize warehousing (local, regional and national);
    • Calculate optimal size of orders
    • Forward stock planning
  • Build and manage relationships with local and multinational companies (suppliers):
    • Procure goods;
    • Strengthen relationships with current players;
    • Negotiate with new players;
    • Merchandising.
  • Develop relationships with capacity building consultants and other possible NGO or governmental institutions as partners;
  • Identify opportunities for social grant funding;
  • Set and achieve financial and social return objectives

Qualifications (Education, Experience, Languages)

  • Relevant Bachelor’s degree;
  • MBA-degree, relevant graduate degree, or equivalent management experience preferred.
  • Minimum 10 years of experience in sales, management, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), or related in Colombia
  • Strong commercial mindset; general management experience with P&L responsibility
  • Experience in sales, distribution, and logistics for multinational mass consumption goods/fast moving consumer goods company preferred
  • Very strong quantitative and analytical skills
  • Proven effective leadership abilities in a business environment
  • Team-oriented
  • Significant people/organization management experience and ability to mentor and manage groups of managers, staff and entrepreneurs
  • Proven ability to operate in start-up, entrepreneurial, low-resource environments
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with people in both rural and urban areas
  • Proficiency with MS Office applications
  • Strong problem solving and decision making skills
  • Understanding and buy-in of CGEP mission of poverty alleviation
  • Experience in an international organization preferred
  • Colombian national preferred
  • Oral and written fluency in English and Spanish required

Interested candidates should send their resumes to [email protected] with the subject line “Chakipi Colombia General Manager.”